Yemen war ramps up further as Hormuz stalemate persists

Rescuers escorted by the Lebanese army on Wednesday discovered the bodies of two men killed in an Israeli strike a day earlier, state media reported.

The two men were reported missing on Tuesday after they were "targeted" by the Israeli military between Nabatieh and Zawtar al-Sharqiya, the official National News Agency (NNA) said.

The Lebanese Red Cross, accompanied by an army patrol, on Wednesday found "the bodies of two young men", NNA added.

It said contact with the two was lost after they travelled to the area, where they had "filmed video footage and sent it to friends", the news agency reported.

NNA had reported on Tuesday a double strike in the area.

Zawtar al-Sharqiya is part of a stretch of Lebanese territory along the border occupied by the Israeli military.

It is adjacent to Zawtar al-Gharbiya, one of two "pilot zones" where the Lebanese army recently deployed as part of a framework deal with Israel.

Israel had in recent days intensified its strikes on the Nabatieh region, having bombed underground Hezbollah infrastructure at the Ali al-Taher ridge in the same area last week.

Hezbollah pulled Lebanon into the Middle East war when it launched attacks on Israel in support of its backer Iran in March.

Since then, Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed more than 4,300 people, according to Lebanese authorities.

The Houthis said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabian jets had carried out 40 airstrikes over the past day targeting western Yemen, where the Iran-backed group recently made substantial gains along the Red Sea coast.

"Saudi warplanes launched 40 airstrikes using F15 aircraft that took off from Khamis Mushait Airbase, targeting the provinces of Taiz, Marib, and Hodeidah over the past 24 hours," the Houthi's military spokesman said Yahya Saree said in a statement on social media.

At least nine children have been killed in Yemen over the past two weeks of fighting, while more than 104,000 people, including 57,000 children, have been displaced, UNICEF said.

"Renewed hostilities across Yemen are forcing families from their homes, killing and injuring children and disrupting access to health care and education, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis," the UN agency said.

UNICEF added that services have been disrupted at 26 health facilities it supports, while 243 schools have closed or suspended classes, affecting more than 137,000 students.

Turkey and Lebanon have condemned a Houthi drone attack targeting the holy city of Mecca, although the Iran-allied Yemeni group has denied any involvement.

Turkey's foreign ministry reaffirmed its support for Saudi Arabia's "sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security", expressing Ankara's solidarity with Riyadh.

The ministry called for the "immediate cessation" of such attacks, warning that they threaten regional security and stability, and urged all sides to avoid further escalation.

Regarding the Drone Attack by the Houthis Targeting Saudi Arabia https://t.co/kffS3gu8jE pic.twitter.com/9G73H01gt7

— Turkish MFA (@MFATurkiye) September 16, 2026

Two House Republicans in battleground Iowa districts, including one who recently campaigned alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, changed their position on an Iran war powers resolution, joining with Democrats and a few other dissident members of their party in an attempt to halt President Donald Trump's ability to continue military action without congressional approval.

The shift reflects the political pressure on Republicans before midterm elections that will decide control of Congress. The war remains unpopular and has led to soaring fuel prices.

Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks voted for the resolution on Tuesday after previously voting against it.

“With the negotiating window closed, sustained combat operations now require congressional authorization,” Nunn, an Air Force veteran, posted on social media. “I will not support another open-ended war.”

Nunn campaigned with Hegseth last month in Iowa, and the Pentagon chief had lauded Nunn as an ally who didn’t need any last-minute, late-night phone calls from Trump to persuade him to support the president’s agenda..

A destroyed aircraft, shredded tents, trailers that have been ripped apart: images taken by US troops show significant damage from Iranian strikes targeting American military assets in the Middle East, CBS News reported.

The undated images -- taken at a base in Saudi Arabia and two facilities in Kuwait -- were provided to CBS by American personnel on condition of anonymity due to US military restrictions, the outlet said late Tuesday.

"This is major damage to our bases that hasn't been communicated to the American public," CBS quoted one US service member as saying.

"We're standing there with our eyes closed getting punched in the face," the service member added.

The Pentagon's inspector general released a report earlier this week that said the military's Central Command (CENTCOM) -- which is responsible for US forces in the Middle East -- had reported widespread damage to American facilities and equipment.

CENTCOM said Iranian strikes "damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan," the report said.

"In addition, dozens of US aircraft were destroyed or damaged" during the war, the report said.